Cybersecurity essentials for every business

No matter the size of your business or the field of business in which you operate, you almost always use technology products in your operations on a daily basis. Cyberattacks can affect businesses of all sizes and almost always end up costing a business money. In severe cases, a cyberattack can be fatal to the survival of a business. Combined with the growing prevalence of cybercrime, it is clear why all businesses need to take care of the essentials when it comes to cybersecurity. Here are some top tips for staying secure.

Use strong passwords

Every device and online service that you make use of will employ a password to filter access to authorised persons only. However, these efforts fall apart if you do not use a complex password, and a different password for each service. Passwords do get stolen, so if you share passwords across multiple accounts, then a criminal can get access to a wide range of your company’s services by obtaining just one password.

Beware of email spoofing

Train your employees to spot the signs of a spoofed email. This is when the “from” field of an email address looks like a legitimate sender but is in fact someone else. Tell-tale signs include a slightly misspelled domain name, curious requests to pay invoices for services that you didn’t request, and poor grammar and language in an email.

Firewalls are still effective

Many of the most successful cyberattacks are perpetrated by automated tools. A firewall protects your internal network and your website against these automated penetration technologies, reducing the likelihood that a vulnerability in your systems will be identified by a criminal. Next-generation firewalls are excellent at identifying suspicious activity and will simply block any suspect traffic, keeping your network safe.

Always update your hardware and software

Every system and software package has security holes when it is released. These are identified over time and patches are made public to close the gaps, but patches are only effective if they are installed. Once the security problem is public, hackers can easily hunt for opportunities to exploit it. Protect your computing resources by always installing any security patches as soon as they are released.

Hire an expert

If you make extensive use of technology services, then you might want to get an expert to help you. A cybersecurity contractor will review your technology practices and identify any security holes that make your business vulnerable. Paying a contractor through an umbrella company makes it easy to get on board top expertise as you do not have to worry about getting the paperwork and taxation issues right.

There is no question that remaining vigilant and taking preventative action will offer a large degree of protection against cyberattacks, but you can still fall victim to cybercriminals. For this reason, you should also protect your business by making regular backups and by putting in place a disaster recovery plan, which can mitigate any damage done by a security breach.